A Local's Guide to Chocolate Cravings
with Rebecca Masson from Fluff Bake Bar!
Lovers of chocolate will rejoice when they discover all the sweet treats Houston has to offer them. Fluff Bake Bar owners, chef Rebecca Masson, a.k.a “The Sugar Fairy”, shares three spots you can’t miss in Houston if chocolate is your weakness. Get ready to be delighted.
Cacao & Cardamom
Chef Annie Rupani’s South Asian background and world travels influence the small pieces of edible art she sells at her Galleria-area shop. After learning the art of making chocolate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she made her way back to Houston bring along her passion for chocolate.
Start off with a Mexican sipping chocolate, a thick, European-style hot chocolate with cinnamon, vanilla and chilies. Then sample chocolates from a variety of exotic flavors, such as mango caramel, Szechuan peppercorn, lavender, cardamom rose and coconut curry. Note: these gorgeous chocolates make excellent gifts.
Address: 5000 Westheimer Rd. #602
Fat Cat Creamery
This Heights small-batch ice cream shop uses local ingredients to make ice cream from scratch, the old-fashioned way. A list of year-round and seasonal flavors are featured by the scoop, in sundaes, malts and shakes.
You can never go wrong with a scoop of milk chocolate stout ice cream, prepared with Convict Hill Oatmeal stout beer. This ice cream flavor is used to prepare The Dude Malted, a rich malt that also comes with a scoop of freshly-ground, honey-roasted peanut butter, a splash of milk, chocolate syrup drizzled in and on top, and a hand-dipped chocolate pretzel stick.
During TKTKT, “the cats” also offer a hardcore chocolate flavor, also known as “chocolate wasted,” a rich chocolate ice cream made with TCHO 68% dark chocolate. The “kitty-curated” special sundae changes from week to week but often you’ll find scoops of ice cream served over warm house-baked brownies drizzled with hot fudge.
Address: 1225 W 34th St Suite C-300
Hugo’s
Hugo’s is the home of James Beard award-winning chef, Hugo Ortega. A fixture of the Houston culinary scene, Ortega delights Houstonians with his authentic, regional Mexican cuisine. Here, you can enjoy chocolate in savory preparations such as the pato en mole Poblano, duck braised in mole – a chocolate-based sauce – and costillas de res con mole negro, ribs in black mole. The dessert menu also offers wonderful choices for chocolate aficionados. Try the pastel de chocolate al chipotle, a dark chocolate cake infused with chipotle pepper. At Hugo’s, you can also enjoy a cup of Mexican hot chocolate any time of the year.
Address: 1600 Westheimer Rd.